I've had some from Boule, which are pretty good (still nothing compares to Pierre Herme or Laduree in Paris - I am making a pit stop in London next week just to run into Laduree at Harrod's!) There is also Jin Patisserie in Venice - I haven't tried the one's there yet, but they looked pretty.

Jin's macarons are half the size of the ones Boule and Paulette sell, and the flavors, with the exception of the black sesame, aren't as sharp or creative as either store's. At $1.25 each, they just aren't worth the trip or the money. Of course, with all the reports of inconsistency and just plain bad products at Boule these days, Paulette might be the safest bet, even though Boule had been putting out the best macarons before. The macarons at Paulette are $1.50 each, while I believe a dozen at Boule set me back about $24 last time.

Nooooooo! Diet starts Wednesday? I was already planning on a Vito’s slice after Dr. appt. at Cedars tomorrow. Recently had my first taste of macarons brought back from Paris from a family friend…know of Boules and other’s on Westside. Thank god not in close driving distance, could become an addiction. Do I dare do both? Are Boules ( and others) comparable to what you find in France?Edit- Hungryhyena beat me to the punch, thanks for info, I think i had Pierre Herme..

I would recommend Jin's although I'd ask when the macarons were made - I've had a stale-ish experience over there. I agree on Boule's as well. I thought Hot Cake's version was decent. My brain is freezing but there's also another bakery on Pico borderlining the Westside that offer pretty good macarons as well.

I think LMDP are the best macarons in LA (tried all the other places) because they are far less sweet as Boule and Paulette and don't taste as artificial as Paulette o (I'd get Boule over Paulette, BTW, and Jin over Boule, and forget la Provence). They were also always consistently fresh at LMDP with a perfect ratio of cookie-to-filling.BUT call LMDP before heading there because they don't offer macarons on a daily basis. I had the chocolate, pistachio, blackberry and lemon at LMDP and they were all great.

Got it. Thanks. I'm a jew so was only familiar with the coconut kind. Will have to sample these delicate looking french things. But upwards or $2/per for what looks like a single (manly) bite? Sounds a bit excessive.

Went to Paulette today. Game over. Best macaroon in LA EVER. You have to go to Pari to find their equal. Less sweet and lighter than Boule. Perfectly fresh, not overly chilled like some. Great variety.